The Philippines’ worsening digital competitiveness and the critical threat of cybersecurity have prompted urgent warnings from government and private sector leaders, demanding accelerated national action to reverse the decline.
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda on Thursday warned that digital disruption is a “survival issue” for the country. He cited a concerning projection that the Philippines’ digital economy would fall to 8.4 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, calling the figure “unacceptable.”
“This is not merely about percentages. It is about people,” Aguda said.
Aguda outlined an accelerated government strategy focused on infrastructure deployment, digital adoption and strengthened governance. He urged collective action to reverse stagnation.
“We are aiming … for hyper-exponential growth. Some say it’s impossible. To them I say, watch us work,” he said.
Stratbase Institute president Victor Andres Manhit underscored the central role of cybersecurity in national resilience, noting that threats increasingly emerge from the “unseen, borderless and asymmetrical” digital domain.
He highlighted how deepfakes and foreign information manipulation now “blur traditional security boundaries.”
“Cybersecurity is not only about technology; it is about trust,” Manhit said, adding that protecting the digital domain is a shared responsibility among the state, private sector, and international community.
The need for international coordination was echoed by Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya, who highlighted the rapid escalation of cyberattacks globally. He noted that cyberspace is “an indispensable social infrastructure” but threats are “rapidly escalating.”
Kazuya cited Japan’s monitoring data showing cyberattack-related communications surged from 63 billion packets in 2015 to 686 billion in 2024. “No single nation can address threats in cyberspace alone. International cooperation is indispensable,” he said.
